Use materials you already have. Home-schooling or crafting? You don’t need to buy everything new. Old magazines and newspapers can be used for all sorts of things from reading practice to craft projects; yoghurt pots and ice cream tubs for water play for little ones to learning about capacity and measuring for older ones; all sorts of old containers (even wellies!) are great for planting seeds in – you could even make a miniature garden in a fruit punnet or a fairy garden in a shoe box.

Try making art with natural materials. Collect them when you go out for your walk or in your garden. How many colours can you find in nature? How many textures? Google Andy Goldsworthy images for inspiration of what you could turn it into!

Take a bite out of climate change have online materials which can be used by schools and the general public on how food choices contribute to climate change. They have produced some videos and activity sheets to be used at home with a different theme for every week in June, but these materials could be used at any time.

Age 7+

D is for Daily Inspiration

Follow these Facebook pages for some sustainability activity inspiration….

E is for Earth School

Earth School is a month of daily adventures. Every weekday between Earth Day (April 22nd) and World Environment Day (June 5th), Earth Schoolwill be providing resources compiled by Earth experts – watch a short animation, do a quiz, have a think and then discuss. Lots of ideas for getting involved in ways that count – with ways to protect, nurture and care for Earth. Best for ages 12+.

F is for 14 Day Challenge

G is for Growing your own food

Eat something you’ve grown yourself. You don’t have to have a garden to grow your own food. From a few seeds in a pot on the windowsill comes a wondrous new world of eating what you have grown yourself. The Royal Horticultural Society is a good place to start your journey.

If you live in Sopwell, then you can pick up free seeds and become part of the growing community there – see Grow Community-Sopwell.

Herbs, like basil, and quick growing salad, like rocket, can be grown in punnets on a window sill. Once you have your own herbs give the kids some yoghurt or mayonnaise and invite them to invent their own recipes for a flavoured dip.

If you have a small outdoor space like a balcony or patio, you can pot up a few tubs. Try beetroot or carrots as they can be direct sown into the tub outside. Tomatoes are always good fun – start them off indoors and plant them out when the weather gets warmer.

Don’t over-use that hose! Use water carefully and consider installing a water butt.

For home-learning, use a vegetable you have grown yourself as a family as the basis for a whole host of learning! From drawing pictures of it, writing stories about it, dividing it into fractions and cooking with it, you can make a whole day out of it – try Carrot Tales to inspire you.

Build a hedgehog house – here is how!(scroll to the bottom of the page for a simplified version using an old plastic box) and don’t forget to put holes in your fence for that hedgehog highway (see the Gordon Buchanan video above).

K is for Kitchen Fun

Enjoy cooking from scratch and make the most of all the food you have.

M is for Mindfulness

Try some mindfulness: When feeling anxious, it can really help to bring you into the moment by using your senses. Think about: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 thinks you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Step outdoors to do this activity and enjoy nature at the same time.

O is for Outdoors

P is for Photography

Try some wildlife photography using a family camera or smart phone. This can be done from a window, in your garden, or in any green space. You don’t need to be in a jungle surrounded by exotic animals to capture amazing wildlife photos. Sometimes you just need to look closely at the nature surrounding you!

Be patient, you may find that you have to sit and wait by the bird feeders for birds to come, or for the bumblebee to turn around

Take a lot of photos and chose your favorites later

Start off with animals that won’t run away too easily, such as a spider in its web or a plant.

Don’t forget to look to close ups of small things – lichens and mosses can be particularly beautiful and artistic.

Why not submit you entry to the The Wilderhood Watch Photography Competition – Wilderhood Watch is a St Albans based organisation running a photography competition for all ages during lockdown to find the best photograph of garden wildlife.

Q is for Quizzes and Puzzles

R is for Radio

Listen to a local show on podcast. Environment Matters – Radio Verulam (St Albans local radio) has its own environmental news show at 7pm Wednesdays or on podcast at the bottom of their webpage. Well worth a listen to hear all that is going on locally on the subject of sustainability.

S is for Scouts

Bring the outdoor adventures inside. Usually known for their outdoor adventures, the Scouts have a great selection of activities for The Great Indoors during lockdown

T is for Tell us

A reminder to share your lockdown sustainability activities with us on social media or by email – especially if you’ve given one of our ideas a go!